Without question, one of the standout players from the first week of the college football season was Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. If he wasn’t a Heisman favorite before last week, the junior certainly raised some eyebrows in the season opener. On 20 carries, Jeanty rushed for 267 yards and six touchdowns in Boise’s 56-45 win over Georgia Southern. Two of those touchdowns were runs of 75 yards or more.
The obvious question is whether Jeanty can put together a similar performance this week against the #7 Oregon Ducks. Oregon is currently a 19.5-point favorite at home, giving Jeanty and the Broncos a tall task. However, Boise State is undefeated in three all-time meetings with the Ducks, last toppling Oregon in 2017.
Needless to say, Jeanty and the Broncos won’t be facing such a porous defense this week. Few project Georgia Southern to be a bowl team this year, so those 56 points from the Broncos should be taken with a grain of salt. The Ducks, meanwhile, boast high-end talent and have a habit of producing talented players on both sides of the ball. In the last three years, Oregon’s front seven has had six NFL draft picks. This year, Jestin Jacobs and Jeffrey Bassa project to be one of the best linebacker duos in the country.
However, there are some lingering questions about the Oregon defensive line. Several key members from last year’s team are gone with the Ducks hoping to reload quickly with some transfers. That group surely didn't get a proper test in last week’s lackluster 24-14 win over Idaho. That sets up an intriguing matchup with Jeanty and Boise State this week.
It’s important to remember that Jeanty’s success against a subpar opponent last week wasn't a huge surprise. He ranked seventh nationally in rushing last season, averaging over 112 yards per game. Boise State also brings back an experienced offensive line, so it’s no wonder that it had little trouble opening holes against Georgia Southern and springing Jeanty for big runs. Even against a far more talented Oregon defense this week, the Boise running game should be in excellent shape.
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Outside of the matchup of Boise’s potent rushing attack against Oregon’s run defense, both teams face questions in this game. The Oregon offense managed just 24 points against Idaho in Dillon Gabriel’s debut with the Ducks. On the other side, the Broncos are surely disappointed about giving up 45 points and over 450 yards of offense against Georgia Southern.
What should we make of this week’s showdown between Boise State and Oregon? There should be little question that the 19.5-point spread is too big. Even if the Ducks are more formidable than Georgia Southern against the run, Jeanty will find room to run. Keep in mind that his backup had 110 rushing yards on 12 carries last week. The Broncos will run the ball, control the clock, and put points on the board. Even if the Boise State defense isn’t good enough to spring an upset, the Oregon offense won’t have enough opportunities, especially after last week’s performance, to cover 19.5 points.
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